U.S. cross-country star Jessie Diggins claims bronze, medaling in third straight Olympics : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3198x2132+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F01%2Fe2%2F4bb5e6de48c7a818e25cc2e41c84%2Fgettyimages-2260706860.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3198x2132+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F01%2Fe2%2F4bb5e6de48c7a818e25cc2e41c84%2Fgettyimages-2260706860.jpg" class="img" alt="USA's Jessie Diggins takes the start of the women's cross-country skiing 10km interval start free event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Lago di Tesero (Val di Fiemme), on February 12, 2026." fetchpriority="high"/> USA's Jessie Diggins takes the beginning of the ladies's cross-country snowboarding 10km interval begin free occasion of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Video games at Tesero Cross-Nation Snowboarding Stadium in Lago di Tesero (Val di Fiemme), on February 12, 2026. TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP disguise caption

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TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP VAL DI FIEMME, Italy - The girl who helped re-energize Olympic-level cross nation snowboarding within the U.S. has achieved it once more. Jessie Diggins, age 34, powered via the ache of injured ribs to seize a bronze medal on a bluebird day on the Tesero Cross-Nation Snowboarding Stadium.

Diggins crossed the end line with a late, agonizing surge, the ache and keenness seen on her face earlier than she collapsed to the snow. Considered one of her teammates, Hailey Swirbul, was the primary to succeed in Diggins. "She's so robust, she digs deep," Swirbul stated.

"I labored as an EMT final winter and I noticed some folks in ache for damaged bones and Jessie appeared comparable, however she's okay," Swirbul added.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6413x4275+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2Fbb%2F0721b29c49d5a7d9302484a55f89%2Fgettyimages-2260721126.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6413x4275+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2Fbb%2F0721b29c49d5a7d9302484a55f89%2Fgettyimages-2260721126.jpg" class="img" alt="VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Hailey Swirbul of Team United States, Jessie Diggins of Team United States celebrate on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo by Michel Cottin/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)" loading="lazy"/> VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Hailey Swirbul of Crew United States, Jessie Diggins of Crew United States rejoice on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic video games at Tesero Cross-Nation Snowboarding Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Michel Cottin/Getty Photographs Europe disguise caption

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Michel Cottin/Getty Photographs Europe Diggins injured her ribs when she crashed exhausting in her first race, a mixed basic and freestyle "skiathlon."

She completed in third place on Thursday within the 10 kilometer interval begin freestyle race, which Diggins has described as one among her finest occasions. Swedish star skier Frida Karlsson took gold in dominant trend, crossing the end line 46 seconds forward of of silver place finisher Ebba Andersson, additionally of Sweden. Diggins edged out fourth place finisher Astrid Oyre Slind of Norway by simply three-tenths of a second.

This was the third straight Olympics the place Diggins medaled. On the 2018 Winter Video games in South Korea, she and fellow U.S. skier Kikkan Randall snapped a decades-long medal drought by profitable a gold medal within the workforce dash freestyle. That was America's first-ever Olympic gold within the sport, and solely the second ever, following Invoice Koch's silver in Innsbruck in 1976. 4 years later, Diggins gained silver and bronze on the Beijing Olympics.

Talking with NPR earlier than the Olympics, Diggins talked about her capacity to energy via ache and fatigue.

"I've virtually by no means didn't mentally discover the desire to dig for it," Diggins stated. "Mainly I ask myself one quite simple query. 'How do I wish to really feel on the end line?' I do not like dwelling with regrets. I do not wish to ever look again and suppose 'What if?"

Diggins is at the moment scheduled to compete in three extra occasions through the Milan Cortina Video games. She's introduced that these will likely be her last Olympics and she's going to retire from aggressive snowboarding this spring.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5054x3371+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F12%2F9b%2F943efc4f4faa8c049d447f34b501%2Fgettyimages-2261250931.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5054x3371+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F12%2F9b%2F943efc4f4faa8c049d447f34b501%2Fgettyimages-2261250931.jpg" class="img" alt="VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Gold medalist Frida Karlsson of Team Sweden, Silver medalist Ebba Andersson of Team Sweden and Bronze medalist Jessie Diggins of Team United States pose for a photo on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women's 10km Interval Start Free on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy." loading="lazy"/> VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Gold medalist Frida Karlsson of Crew Sweden, Silver medalist Ebba Andersson of Crew Sweden and Bronze medalist Jessie Diggins of Crew United States pose for a photograph on the rostrum through the medal ceremony for the Ladies's 10km Interval Begin Free on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic video games at Tesero Cross-Nation Snowboarding Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Alex Slitz/Getty Photographs Europe disguise caption